GeneX - Tails the Fox
Chapter 45 - The Creator
Stages 23-24 - Darkegg Fortress
Boss 32 - Bucky the Rat

Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and 
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?

While Copter and Vector fought Dr. Eggman in the other passage, Tails and Cream also reached the end of the passage they were traveling through. A room that was likely intended as an alternate control room, computers were set up all along the walls. Tails ran across the room to a computer to check it out. "Hmm... This might just open the elevator..." Tails said after a few moments.

"The Chao have abandoned the tower. Clearly, they know something you don't. Are you quite sure you want to go higher up?" Someone had come in behind them. Tails turned around to see a true lab rat. "Huh? Who are you?" Tails asked, not recalling ever meeting the rat. The rat pretended to be sad. "Ohhh, you don't remember me, Tails? That's quite a shame..." he said sarcastically. "I must admit, it is no surprise. I suppose I should reintroduce myself. I am Doctor Buck Stein, better known as Bucky the Rat!" There was something sinister about Bucky, and Cheese flew behind Cream in fear. "He's scary..." Cream said quietly. Tails was too full of questions to be scared, though. "How do you know me? I don't think I've ever seen you before!" he said. Bucky casually began walking across the room, laughing before responding. "Wouldn't you like to know!" Dr. Stein walked past Tails and sat down in front of the computer Tails had been using. "You know, that Copter is truly amazing. Surviving both electrocution, and then an explosion from which he could not escape! He's more powerful than I EVER imagined." Tails thought about what Bucky had just said. "That's impossible..." he whispered. "Copter's really strong..." Cream said in amazement. Tails couldn't believe it. "No one could survive something like that! Not if he was really caught in the explosion!"

Sparks began flying from Bucky's body, a power that somehow lifted him into the air! "Nothing's impossible! Look at me, flying without wings! Of course, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Cream hid behind Tails, terrified of Bucky. Tails still had questions. "What are you doing here, anyway? How do you know about Copter?!" Bucky laughed menacingly, the electricity surging through him making his sinister eyes appear to glow. "You'll never know the truth! I cannot allow you to continue to corrupt Experiment 2's mind!" Cream looked up at him from behind Tails. "W-what do you mean?" she asked. "It's useless, Cream! I think he wants to fight with me!" Tails realized. Bucky laughed again. "Not just you! I'll kill you both! I'll have no friends left over to desire revenge! Prepare yourselves!" Bucky began cackling diobolically, preparing to strike down those he saw in his way. A sudden fear gripped Tails, and he flew up between Bucky and Cream in order to block the rat from attacking her. "Get away, Cream! I'll hold him off!" Tails ordered. Bucky looked down at them with fury in his eyes. "She won't escape! Nor will Sonic, once I find him!"

Just then, Cream stepped forward, and Cheese flew out from behind her, a look of determination in their eyes. "Stop it! You won't lay a hand on my friends!" Cream declared. "Cream, what are you doing!?" Tails shouted. "You can't fight him alone! Cheese and I will help you!" she replied. "But, it's too dangerous!" Tails said, worriedly. "Silence, you fools! I've had enough of this!" Bucky growled. "You and your friends have gotten in my way for the last time!" Like the room Copter was fighting Eggman in, this room had no visible roof, so Tails and Cream began flying up high, with Bucky in pursuit. "You won't get away with this!" Tails shouted, which only made Bucky angrier. "Pitiful fools! Witness true power! The power over life and death!"

Bucky shot some blasts of lighting from his hands, directed at Tails, which Tails quickly flew to avoid. This was a dangerous fight, because if either of them got hit by the lightning, Bucky would finish them before they could recover, and they all knew it. Making matters worse, Bucky was very efficient, aiming at Tails and Cream at the same time as often as he could. Every time Tails or Cream got close, they were forced to retreat before they could attack. Bucky was so preoccupied with attacking Tails and Cream, that he didn't see Cheese coming at him from behind! The Chao tackled him as hard as he could, but all it really served to do was annoy Bucky, who turned to attack the Chao! This gave Tails his opening, and he quickly flew at Bucky and kicked him from behind! In retaliation, Bucky immediately started shooting jolts of electricity at Tails and Cheese, leaving Cream free to attack! However, this triple team strategy wouldn't work twice, and Bucky quickly turned around before Cream could hit him and nearly hit her! Cream felt the heat of the electricity as it passed by her, and realized what a close call that was, so she started to retreat toward the ground, with Cheese following. Bucky refused to let her get away, and sent bolts of lightning hurtling towards her! "No! Cream, look out!!" Tails shouted, flying down after the bolts. He intercepted the attack, taking a bad hit that sent him crashing to the floor! "Tails!!!" Cream shouted in panic. Bucky landed near the young fox, charging up his power to strike a finishing blow!

He took some time to charge up, and Cream had time to try to save Tails. She flapped her ears to hover a short distance above the ground, and flew over to Tails, grabbing him in her arms and flew out of the way of Bucky's attack, just moments before it shot past them! Bucky was a bit tired from that shot, and decided to attack them from the ground. Cream desperately dodged Bucky's attacks as she waited for Tails to recover. In a few moments, Tails finally opened his eyes and jumped out of Cream's arms, flying away just in time to avoid another bolt. "You fools! Give it up! You cannot defeat me!" Bucky shouted, having stored up enough energy to take to the sky once more. "He just seems to recharge while he's attacking!" Tails thought. "What's more, I think he's toying with us. How can we beat him if he come after us at full power?!"

Just as Tails was thinking it, Bucky kicked it up a notch, expelling a large amount of energy from his body in a shocking explosion, which blasted Tails, Cream, and Cheese higher into the air! Due to the shock of the sudden attack, they couldn't snap out of it to fly before falling to the ground! In a few seconds, Bucky was there once again, laughing devilishly. "He's... too... strong..." Tails thought, thinking this was the end. "You see?" Bucky gloated. "I can bend life to my will. Through the powers of GeneX, I can create life! Through the powers granted me by the terrors of my past, I can kill at will! Just stay there, it'll all be over in a moment!"

Bucky started charging energy fast, and was apparently unable to contain it all as lightning bolts zapped in all directions! "This is it!!" Tails shouted in despair. "Hold on, Cheese!" Cream cried, clutching her Chao friend in her arms.

Just when it seemed Bucky was about to launch his attack, a laser shot past Tails and Cream, soaring into Bucky and knocking him over, causing his attack to be sent straight upward towards the roof, assuming there was one. Climbing to his feet, Bucky looked across the room to see what had hit him, and Tails and Cream looked as well, pleasantly surprised. It was SPOT! Using its special "Tails Tracker" sensor, it managed to find them just in time! However, Bucky was still not beaten. "So, you got a lucky shot at me! I'm through playing games!!"

Suddenly, the entire tower was shaken as though an earthquake had hit! Copter had just defeated Eggman in the other passageway, and the force of the Arachnoegg's fall rocked the entire upper portion of Darkegg Fortress! During the shaking, Bucky recieved a call via his walkie talkie. "Boss! What are you doing!? Do you know what time it is!?" Zipp's voice shouted. As the tower stopped shaking, they suddenly heard another rumbling coming from high above them. "Time...? Oh, shoot!" Bucky shouted, looking up. "Ah! Whatever that shaking was, combined with my misdirected attack earlier, the roof of this chamber is collapsing! And I have to go now, anyway! Every man for himself!!!"

While Bucky ran for the exit, Tails tried to get to the computer to open the elevator. "There's no time!!" Cream shouted, to no avail. "I need to get to the roof! I can sense it, Copter will be there!" Tails shouted back, frantically pressing buttons. At that moment, Cream saw the roof falling toward them, and acting fast, flew after Tails and dragged him away just as part of the roof crashed where he was standing!

It was a close call, but they all managed to escape into the passageway. "Now what? Those computers are wreaked..." Tails sighed dejectedly. "Tails, look! It's all right!" Cream said excitedly, pointing at SPOT's monitor. "Wireless interface successful. All doors and elevators unlocked." Tails read the text on SPOT's monitor. "Perfect! Good thing SPOT showed up when he did!" "Let's go!" Cream said enthusiastically. "Sorry, Cream." Tails said. "I need to face Copter on my own. I want you to take SPOT and find Sonic!" Cream looked at Tails worriedly. "Can't I help you?" "You really are a big help, Cream, but... It's just something I need to do by myself." Tails said. Cream could tell this was important to Tails. "OK! I'll go help Sonic! You just promise you'll be all right!"

So, upon exiting the dark passage, Tails took the elevator, while Cream headed off to look for Sonic. Now, it was time. Tails and Copter would meet on the roof, and settle things once and for all. "I sorta wish I didn't have to fight Copter..." Tails thought as the elevator carried him to the roof. "But I guess I have no choice. If he won't stop causing trouble, then I'll have to stop him myself!"

To be continued...